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2015 Axbridge Season
The Axbridge 2015 season is the 12th season for Axbridge Cricket Club. Liam Stiles became the new Captain and Tony Wilson & Andy Matthews took on the shared Vice Captain's role. During the season Axbridge lost a hero and inspiration to many people as Martin Cavender passed away after along battle with cancer. He passed on 31st July, he will be missed by all who met him. Match reports Axbridge 243-2, Failand & Portbury 212 Not even an impromptu flypast from The Red Arrows could distract the casual spectator from the scintillating spectacle of Axbridge's second triumph of the season. The match was played out under azure skies in full view of motorists traversing the nearby M5 Avonmouth Bridge and represented the most complete performance of the season for the men from the small Somerset town. Once again, Stiles failed to call correctly and on winning the toss the septuagenarian home skipper had no hesitation in asking Axbridge to bat in a timed game format. His decision back-fired when, making the most of the halcyon batting conditions, the Axbridge openers Jones and Jarman posted a half-century opening stand. Their contrasting but complementary approaches reflected the three-and-a-half decade age difference, Jones displaying the brash arrogance of youth in bludgeoning 62 from 49 balls whilst at the other end, Jarman's circumspection and judicious jurisprudence accumulated a curmudgeonly 39 from 68 deliveries. Between them though, they set the stall out for the real pyrotechnics of the afternoon emanating from the willow of Cook. Having provided a foretaste of the delights in his batting larder earlier in the campaign, Cook served up a sumptuous array of gorgeous cricketing fondue flowing from his sweet spot. Having created a cornucopia of 75 delicious runs from a paltry 36 balls, Cook left the feast of boundaries to the more meagre middle order fare dished up by Stiles and Saunders. Like the Jarman/Jones combo, these two heavyweight members of Axbridge cricketing hierarchy offered spectators a dichotomy of techniques reflecting the quarter of a century in age between them, Stiles (23) embodying his onomatopoeic moniker, gracefully easing the ball through the covers, while Saunders (23) in his inimitable fashion juxtaposed nurdles through the vacant slip area with agrarian scythes to long leg. Together they provided a digestif for spectators still engorged from Cook's prowess but at the same time ensured that the final total of 243-2 from 38 overs was a daunting season's best for the club. The F&P top order blended steady accumulation with a succession of aerial salvos and at one point had achieved the magic combination of maintaining scoring momentum whilst preserving wickets. The epiphany came when A Manning pouched a superbly judged catch from the penetrative bowling of his son B Manning to ensure family unity. Manning Senior also got in on the act by snaffling a wicket of his own when sharp glove work down the leg-side by the mercurial Wilson led to a stumping. The brakes were really applied by overseas import Bamber (3-29), whose manual dexterity with the old ball ensured that the home team never really broke free of the shackles in the mid-part of the innings. Bamber's proficiency was such that he didn't so much make the ball talk but recite poetry from the Transvaal. There was a late death rattle from the F&P tail before the coup de gras was applied by the niggardly Purkiss (2-32) and the versatile Cook (2-15) as F&P were dismissed for a creditable 212. Committee Changes Start 2015 * Hon. President: Robin Mace * Chairman: Phil Saunders * Vice Chairman: Andy Matthews * Club Captain: Liam Stiles * Vice Captain: Tony Wilson * Vice Captain: Andy Matthews * Secretary: James Fisher * Fixtures Secretary: Mike Day * Treasurer: Dean Packham * Committee Member: Paul Davies * Committee Member: Tim Purkiss 2015 Awards * Best Batsman: Mike Cook 258 runs * Best Bowler: Andrew Matthews 25 wkts * Most Improved Player: John Goodwin 12 runs & 4 wkts * Fielder of the Year: Tony Wilson 2 cts & 6 stu * Players player: Liam Stiles Seasons Honours 2015 season players 2015 season results Category:Axbridge C.C seasons